AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m nothing like you!” Luna pushes against my hold. But she doesn’t break free, and I’m ninety-nine percent sure she could if she wanted to. If she didn’t mind hurting me in the process.
The man who must be Bill Lamont steps toward us, and I stare in disgust at the person who should love and support the woman in my arms unconditionally. Instead, he insults and threatens her. I can barely comprehend the horror of it.
I need this man as far away from my wife as I can manage.
Sirens sound in the distance, sparking an idea.
“I called the cops before I came out here,” I say, meeting his bloodshot gaze.
Mr. Lamont flinches back, wild eyes flicking toward the front of the house where we all hear the faint sound of the emergency response. His feet turn the way of his stare, and he makes a retreat.
Just when I think we’re free of him, Luna’s father snaps out a quick kick at his daughter’s raised garden. The wood splinters under his heavy boot, letting fresh soil spill onto the ground.
“This isn’t over!” he bellows, picking up his pace as the sirens get louder. The gate clangs shut behind him, and a second later we hear the roar of an engine.
I drop my hold.
“Did you actually call the cops?” Luna asks, voice strained.
“No. I lied. Worked though.” Without her in my arms, I fight an empty sensation, cracking my knuckles as a distraction. “So, that was your dad?” I can see why she’d never want that man to have the money.
“Damn it!” Luna stomps across the yard away from me, then stops to glare down at the ground, her arms crossed and entire body tense.
“Luna?” My voice borders on cautious. Is she wishing I had called the authorities? We can still give them a report. Maybe get a restraining order.
“You shouldn’t have told him!” She shouts the words at the sky, but I know they’re aimed at me.
“Told him what?”
“That we’re married.” Luna drops her hands to her sides, fingers clenched in fists in her dirty gardening gloves. I wonder if she wants to hit something. Like me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think we were keeping it secret.” A defensive note creeps into my voice.
“He knows.” Luna whirls to glare at me. Eyes hard. “He knows about the inheritance, and now he knows I’m going after it.”
“Ah.” Shit. From what I just saw of the guy, Luna’s father does not lose with grace.
“Yeah.Ah.” She paces again, getting her rage out through her feet. “He’s going to do something. I don’t know what. Hell, he probably doesn’t know what yet. But he wants that money, and I’m standing in his way.”
My chagrin curdles into a sick, angry mess in my gut.
Seriously? The guy will do something to his own daughter? With a loving set of parents like mine, the idea is hard to fathom.
But I trust Luna’s worry. She knows the man better than I do.
“Luna, I’m sorry.” This time the apology doesn’t come with any caveats. I wish I could have helped her without revealing our relationship.
She sighs, some of the anger leaching from her expression, but her shoulders stay tense. I follow the direction of her stare to the destruction. The planter Luna’s spent the morning working on has a splintered side with thick, brown soil spilling from the fracture.
In my life, I’ve rarely applied the word “hate” to anything.
But I hate Bill Lamont.
Luna heads toward the house. Her abandonment of her project sends a spike of panic through me. Is she walking away from it forever?
“I’ll help you fix it!” I hurry over to the planter, glancing around the yard to see if there’s anything we can use to patch the breach.
“Charlie.” Luna’s voice is tired. “I’ll deal with it tomorrow. I just can’t right now.”
